


Cycle of love

by merionlilia



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Break Up, Graduation, Haikyuu!! Manga Spoilers, M/M, Olympics, Porn with Feelings, Post-Time Skip, Reunions, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:13:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27902065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/merionlilia/pseuds/merionlilia
Summary: Iwaizumi loves Oikawa with every fiber of his soul but, after Aoba Johsai left the Spring Tournament, he increasingly feels confused about their new romantic relationship, knowing that they will separate soon. This situation will lead him to make a drastic choice that he will cry for years to come. But true love can’t be forgotten.
Relationships: Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru
Comments: 2
Kudos: 41





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I have to admit that this fanfic was partly born from my disappointment in seeing my OTP separated in the post-time skip. I wanted to give the couple a happy ending by telling a tangled love story. There are quick hints to other couples because, yes, most of the characters are gay here. Enjoy the reading!

**November 2012**

It was getting dark outside. Iwaizumi was leaning against the wall of the college gym, fastening the jacket to protect himself from the typical wind of the end of the month.

As soon as he heard more clearly the voices inside the gym, he took a step towards the door. Shortly after, the door opened, and the first volleyball players came out about to go home. The fourth was Oikawa. The setter clutched the strap of his bag with one hand while talking to a young man at least two meters tall. Iwaizumi had seen him once before. The player patted Oikawa on the shoulder, and Oikawa turned his face towards Iwaizumi. His brown eyes widened.

“Hajime, you came to get me!" Oikawa exclaimed with a smile. He turned to the young man who was with him, "Good evening, Takemoto-san, I'm going away with him."

Takemoto, the college student, greeted them.

Left alone, Oikawa continued happily, "What a nice surprise, Hajime! I thought you didn't want to come."

"It's not that I didn't want to," Iwaizumi pointed out. " I don't have much free time lately."

"My boyfriend came to get me, Iwa-chan making a romantic gesture ... I can't believe it!" hummed Oikawa.

"I can still leave you alone," retorted the other.

"Nah, you won't," Oikawa said, grabbing Iwaizumi’s hand. Their fingers intertwined. Iwaizumi was about to talk back, but Oikawa was faster and said, "I know you have to study a lot to get into college. Like me, you are working hard to achieve your dream. I don't see anyone else better than you studying sports science!"

They were both close to the end of high school. The activities of the volleyball club had ended for the third-year students once Seijoh lost the tournament a month earlier. Iwaizumi had thrown himself into studying to get into a Japanese college, while Oikawa was training, awaiting his debut in the professional sports world. Irihata had put in a word for Oikawa, and the older students were happy to accept the setter in their gym because, when they had come to Aoba Johsai High to play, Oikawa had always managed to blend well with them.

Iwaizumi and Oikawa walked side by side, arriving at the spot where Iwaizumi had parked the motorcycle.

"I told at school today that I will go to Argentina with Blanco after graduating," Oikawa said, holding the helmet Iwaizumi handed him.

"I heard about that. Voices were spreading already. All seemed excited for you, right?"

"Right. I received a lot of support."

Iwaizumi smiled.

Oikawa wrapped his arms around Iwaizumi’s neck and kissed him lightly. "Are you coming to sleep at my house tonight?" he asked in a low voice, with a tone that always convinced the other without resistance.

Iwaizumi nodded, moving to connect their lips again.

However, as he drove the motorcycle later, Iwaizumi felt a knot in his stomach. He was glad he waited for Oikawa outside the gym. He wanted to be there for Oikawa, as long as they were close. The problem was that they didn't have much time left to be together. Only four months.

Oikawa's arms held him tightly.

On the way, they both remained silent.

* * *

Iwaizumi stopped at Oikawa's house to eat. After watching a movie, the two slipped into the same futon. It had been an hour since they had gone to bed when Oikawa's foot went up Iwaizumi's calf in a caress.

"Hajime, are you sleeping?" Oikawa whispered in the darkness of the room.

"You're cold," Iwaizumi muttered with a thick voice, turning to the other.

Oikawa chuckled. "Luckily we're together now, so I can warm upon you," he said, bringing his head to Iwaizumi’s shoulder.

Iwaizumi took Oikawa’s hand in his and began to warm it. "You also did that before we started dating," he noted.

"Yes, but now I don't have to make excuses anymore."

"You’re hopeless."

They had only been dating for three months, but Iwaizumi remembered that he fell in love with Oikawa in second grade. It had taken a lot of time for him to admit his feelings.

Since they were together, everyday life was the same as ever, only more intense. They called each other by name. Oikawa seemed to Iwaizumi more beautiful every day. He felt so grateful to have such a cunning, ambitious, and also a bit giddy person at his side.

“Hey, Hajime…”

“Yes?”

“Nothing will change when I leave Japan. I promise you,” Oikawa murmured.

Iwaizumi knew that his boyfriend had his same concerns about the distance, even if they talked little about them. He thanked the darkness that could hide his face, in case it was revealing his inner suffering. He knew that Oikawa was sincere but still couldn’t feel relaxed. Ten thousand miles was no joke.

“I told you,” Iwaizumi said, “you don’t have to reassure me. There is only one thing that interests me, and that is the plane that will bring you to a place where you can give all of yourself one hundred and twenty percent.”

Oikawa kissed him on the lips. “Thank you. You were the first one to know Blanco’s offer and are supporting me more than anyone.”

“Well, I was with you at that match between Japan and Argentina when we were children. I know how much this opportunity is important to you.”

Oikawa nodded. “It is, but I never expected to have to go abroad so early,” he said with a yawn, then he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Still awake, Iwaizumi looked at the ceiling and realized that there were too many unexpressed questions in the room.

_Once you are in Argentina, Tooru, will you see me the same way?_

_When will you come to Japan for a visit? Will you have time for me?_

_How will we make visits reconcile with training and exams?_

_But, above all, will you miss me a lot? Will you work hard knowing you left me behind?_

_Break up with him,_ a part of himself screamed. _I know you love him so much and want to support him at any cost, but you will both suffer because of the distance._ _How can you stay so far away when you have spent each day together?_

Yes, Iwaizumi thought, if Oikawa had gone to college, the likelihood of being in the same place together would have been minimal, but at least it wouldn't have been months before they could meet.

Perhaps, in a certain sense, they needed to learn to be alone, to become adults. Now that they were dating, this process was more complicated.

Iwaizumi felt he had to make a choice. The little time left seemed to him a sentence, and he had the feeling that also Oikawa was enjoying with him every day as if it were their last.

* * *

**March 2013**

At six in the morning, Iwaizumi woke up naturally, thanks to the sunlight. In the calendar, there was written _Graduation_ inside a red circle.

It was the day that high school would finish. It was the day he would break up with Oikawa. He had thought about it for months and concluded that it was the right decision for both of them, not to suffer too much for years to come.

The boy slipped out of bed. Picking up the phone, he saw that a text had arrived for a few minutes from Oikawa.

_Good morning!! Didn't get much sleep last night and woke up early._

Iwaizumi pursed his lips as he read. He opened the window, took a breath of fresh air, then returned to the phone feeling ready to answer.

_Same here. I have breakfast and come to your place. Hi._

He went to the bathroom, then put on his slightly wrinkled uniform. In the kitchen, he met his mother, who was drinking a glass of water standing at the sink.

"Oh, Hajime, good morning," she said with a smile, putting down her glass on the kitchen counter. "Are you ready for the ceremony?"

"I think so," he replied with a shrug.

“If I didn't have the job today,” she said. "I would have come to take lots of photos."

He laughed. “Mom, please! It was still vaguely acceptable at the end of middle school. There will be Oikawa, Matsukawa, and Hanamaki. We will take pictures of ourselves. "

“I see, but we're having a family home celebration tonight! It would have been nice to invite Tooru and his family too. You two should do as many things together as possible before Tooru moves to Argentina."

Iwaizumi sighed. “No, better not. He will be busy. He told me that his sister and nephew were coming to his house."

Iwaizumi would have liked in those months to express his doubts about his relationship with Tooru to his mother, but he had never told her they were together. He had decided with Oikawa to keep it a secret so that their respective parents believed that they were still two perfect childhood friends.

Mother and son made breakfast together, ate, then Hajime left. Oikawa's house was not far. When Iwaizumi got to the front door, he knocked. He was not surprised to hear that Tooru was still in his room, getting ready, like every morning.

"Hey, Tooru, how are you doing?" Iwaizumi exclaimed, opening the door.

Oikawa was in front of the mirror in his shirt, his red uniform tie still untied. His big brown eyes lit up, and Iwaizumi felt his stomach clench.

"Here you are, Hajime!" Oikawa exclaimed, jumping with his arms around Iwaizumi’s neck.

With his right hand, Oikawa closed the sliding door and brought his lips to his boyfriend’s. Iwaizumi closed his eyes. He didn't have the strength to push Oikawa away. Every time they kissed, his rationality went up in smoke. Oikawa sighed in the kiss. His hands went lower, squeezing Iwaizumi’s hips.

Only after a few seconds, Iwaizumi managed to find the strength to break away. "Already pretty high at this time of the morning?" he told Oikawa. He read the disappointment in the other's face after having interrupted such a pleasant activity.

“I'm just happy to see you. And then today is our graduation day! I want to celebrate,” Oikawa complained.

Iwaizumi sighed.

"Couldn't I have chosen a nicer boyfriend?" Oikawa continued. "Come and help me with the tie."

"You know how to do it yourself."

Oikawa smiled. "Very well. It will take me as long as possible to do it. "

Iwaizumi approached and took the edges of the piece of fabric, knotting it carefully, and Oikawa managed to steal another kiss.

* * *

The ceremony took place in one of the gyms of Aoba Johsai High.

Iwaizumi listened to the speeches of the student council members and looked at Oikawa out of the corner of his eye Hanamaki and Matsukawa were sitting beside them. The four of them were together at school for the last time.

At the end of the ceremony, all the third-year students moved into the courtyard. The courtyard was full of teenagers, and their cheerful chatter filled the air with dreams and hopes. The spring air was fresh. The cherry trees that surrounded the space were in bloom. Everyone congratulated everyone on that beautiful morning. The boys from the team had come to greet their senpai. They took a group photo together.

Everyone wanted to talk with Oikawa. The girls from his fan club and his classmates arrived, then the first-year boys of the team thanked him. Yahaba said he wanted to do his best as the new team captain and would cheer Oikawa once he’s started his career in Argentina. Everyone had faith in Oikawa, Iwaizumi too. On that occasion, Iwaizumi was happy for the attention Oikawa was getting because he had been a good captain for the team. But the only person who was interacting coldly with Oikawa, Iwaizumi realized, was himself.

Coach Irihata congratulated the third-year students of the volleyball team and then took Oikawa aside.

Iwaizumi, meanwhile, was enjoying those last school moments with his friends.

“We have to go eat out together someday,” Hanamaki said in front of Iwaizumi and Matsukawa.

“Yes, we mustn't lose sight of each other. I hope we will be all close enough to organize something when Oikawa comes back,” added Matsukawa.

"Yeah, yeah," Iwaizumi replied absently.

"Will you go to San Juan to see Oikawa, Iwaizumi?" Hanamaki asked.

"Why don't you mind your own business in couple matters?" Matsukawa said with a soft smile.

Iwaizumi tried to smile too. "I don't really know, Hanamaki."

His answer was met with a strange silence.

“Hey, are things all right between you two? You've been a bit strange this morning," Hanamaki said hesitantly.

Iwaizumi said, "I’m fine. You don’t have to worry about me."

When Oikawa returned, Matsukawa and Hanamaki showered him with recommendations.

"Send us lots of pictures of Argentina. I've never been there!" Hanamaki said.

“Sure! I'll write to you a lot! " Oikawa exclaimed. "But look, there are still two weeks before I leave. We don't have to say goodbye now, otherwise, I will feel sad! "

After the four said goodbyes for that day in front of the school gate, Iwaizumi and Oikawa walked together to their respective homes.

Iwaizumi said to Oikawa at some point, "You were in great demand after the ceremony."

“The hard life of the captain. Talking about you, I saw that Mad dog-chan was so excited to have a photo of his dear vice-captain. I don't know whether to be jealous,” Oikawa exclaimed teasingly, clutching his diploma.

"I have no words," Iwaizumi said.

On the way, Iwaizumi felt a weight on his shoulders at every step.

"You are unusually quiet and glum," Oikawa noted. “We just graduated, cheer up! Aren't you hiding something from me?"

Oikawa had hit the mark.

Iwaizumi stopped. There was no one on the street, he could take advantage of that moment. "Tooru, I have to tell you something," he said with difficulty.

Oikawa stopped too. "It seems a serious issue. What is it?"

Iwaizumi swallowed.

"I want to break up with you."

At those words, Oikawa remained still and expressionless for what seemed a very long time. "What?" then he said.

Iwaizumi knew he couldn't go back.

“Wait a minute… what? why? I don't understand,” Oikawa whispered, shaking his head. "Tell me it's a joke."

"No, it's not," Iwaizumi said, serious in tone.

Oikawa's face darkened. "Okay, tell me why you come up with this story all of a sudden."

Iwaizumi took a breath. “Let's not fool ourselves, Tooru. In a few weeks, you will leave Japan. We may only see each other after months, we will have different experiences, we will meet different people and never be the same again. It will never work. Rather than see our relationship deteriorate, I prefer to end it now."

"We decided that we were going to commit ourselves, and now you are holding back," shouted Oikawa.

Iwaizumi clenched his fists. “I wanted to commit myself! I wanted it with all of my soul, but I realize I cannot do it. You need to start over without thinking about me being here. I don't want to be a burden to you and-"

“Oh, don't use me as an excuse just because you think you can't make it,” Oikawa interrupted. He ran his hands through his hair and took a long breath.

Iwaizumi felt tears sting in his eyes, his head was spinning. He never wanted to see the other in that vulnerable state. It was his fault.

“Okay, if this is your choice, I can only respect it,” said Oikawa. “Look, I just can't hate you. Even if you are a fool! We were both stupid. We should have gotten together sooner, much earlier. I spent all those years in middle school looking at you and didn't tell you anything ... "

"It was the same for me," Iwaizumi muttered with a sad smile. "I'm sorry."

Oikawa wiped a tear that just poured down his cheek. “Can we be still friends? I only ask you this."

“Sure, friends as always,” Iwaizumi replied immediately. In that moment of tension, he wanted the confrontation to end as soon as possible, but he also felt relieved to hear Oikawa’s words.

"Okay ... but do you still love me, Hajime?"

Iwaizumi was crying. They were both crying openly. "Don't force me to tell you that," he said in a broken voice.

Oikawa nodded. "I get it. Sorry ... but now I need to be alone. "

"Yes, I understand."

Hiding his face, Oikawa ran away.

* * *

Iwaizumi did not hear from Oikawa for more than a week, which seemed to him a very long time. Matsukawa and Hanamaki learned about their breakup from Oikawa but were understanding with Iwaizumi.

“If you need to talk, we are there. You don't have to keep everything inside as usual,” Hanamaki told him on the phone.

Then two days before Oikawa's appointed day of departure, Iwaizumi received a text from him.

_Come to my house at eight in the morning the day after tomorrow. I want to say goodbye before I leave._

It was a Saturday. Iwaizumi went there. He was happy to see Oikawa, despite everything.

Arriving at his friend's house, Oikawa greeted him with a big, fake smile, as if nothing had happened between them, and began to fill him with too many words.

Almost seven months of their relationship were canceled.

Oikawa took Iwaizumi to his room, where three suitcases were ready. This room contained almost nothing that made it seem his. A few more hours and he would have taken the plane that would have marked the beginning of his new sporting life, far from Japan. He gathered up the last few things and stuffed them into a duffel bag. Then he stood still with an absent look on his face.

"Why did you stop?" Iwaizumi asked Oikawa.

"I was thinking if I forgot something," Oikawa said, smiling slightly.

"I bet there's nothing you can't buy in Argentina."

"I think so," Oikawa agreed and sighed, checking the time on the phone.

Iwaizumi pushed himself off the wall and went to Oikawa. “Hey, everything is going to be okay,” he whispered, placing a hand on Oikawa’s shoulder. "I will miss you, Tooru." He cursed himself because his voice had given in. A lump in his throat caught him off guard. It was time to say goodbye.

"I'll miss you too, Iwa-chan."

They looked at each other's lips. Iwaizumi was as if hypnotized. He felt the weight of all the years of their friendship on him, their victories together, even their quarrels. At that moment, he realized he loved Oikawa so much.

He saw an embarrassed smile. "Are you crying?" Oikawa asked him in a low voice.

Iwaizumi ran a hand over his shiny eyes.

“No, dumbass. You instead?"

"Never been better." But a tear came out.

“Then go and conquer the world. Send me a text when you arrive if you want."

Oikawa dried his cheek quickly with a hand. "Iwa-chan, sometimes you speak exactly like my mom." He hesitated a moment before approaching Iwaizumi again, but Iwaizumi preceded him, holding him in a big hug. They remained like that, saying nothing.

"Tooru, are you ready?" It was Oikawa’s mother, the real one, her voice coming down the hall.

The two friends separated.

"I'm coming!" shouted Oikawa to be heard.

He took two suitcases, and Iwaizumi took the third. The two went out of the room, to the outside, where the car was parked in front of the door. Oikawa glanced at his father, mother, sister, and Takeru. Then he turned to Iwaizumi.

“Take care, Hajime. Don't do anything stupid in my absence,” Oikawa said.

Iwaizumi laughed. "This is what I should tell you."

"It's a goodbye, not a farewell. Do you know that?"

“It'll be a goodbye only if I see you again when you become a famous player,” Iwaizumi said with a defiant smile.

Oikawa smiled back. "I will be famous. Give all of yourself too. See you soon?"

Iwaizumi nodded, then squeezed Oikawa's shoulder lightly. A quick, warm gesture. "See you soon, and have a good journey."

Oikawa got into the car and greeted Iwaizumi from the window while his father was starting the engine. Iwaizumi saw the car disappear down the street and walked to his house.

In the evening, Iwaizumi looked at all the photos he had taken with Oikawa and reflected. Oikawa was right. It was he who hadn't dared to endure a long-distance relationship. Oikawa was destined to do great things, but the thought of the setter forgetting about him made him suffer.

The next day, Iwaizumi received Oikawa's text and smiled as he read that the plane ride had gone well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading to the end. English is not my first language, but I hope the story is enjoyable to read. This chapter is a premise because the fun things happen in the next one (if you know what I mean 😉).


	2. Chapter 2

**July - August 2021**

Tokyo Olympics. The city was in turmoil. The Olympic Village felt like a big party with all the players from all over the world. Training, going out in company…there wasn’t a moment of peace for Hajime Iwaizumi and the Japanese volleyball team.

But above all, there was a topic of interest spreading among the players. Oikawa Tooru, the former student of Aoba Johsai, naturalized Argentine and flagship of CA San Juan.

"I haven't had a chance to chat with the Grand King yet," complained Hinata on the second day, as the team members were enjoying a break in their apartment after training. In the background, a golf game was in progress on TV.

"Who?" Atsumu asked.

"He talks about Oikawa Tooru," Kageyama interjected.

"Iwaizumi-san, have you heard him?" then asked Hinata.

Iwaizumi turned to the spiker. “Yes, this morning. He is busy with training, but I'm sure we’ll meet at the Village Plaza someday."

Iwaizumi hadn't spoken face to face with Oikawa for over a year. When Oikawa could, he went back to Japan to see his family in Miyagi. On the contrary, Iwaizumi, after coming back from the internship in California, had moved to Tokyo and was always busy.

In any case, the two had always sent many texts. Selfies of life in Argentina had become a ritual for Oikawa, in addition to video calls.

_"Everything is going great here. I guess I am definitely settling in," Oikawa had told him on the phone six years before._

_"You will settle down completely when you have to leave," Iwaizumi joked._

_Oikawa took a while to respond. "Maybe that's what happens, but I don't think I'll go back to live in Japan."_

_Hajime expected that. It was in the air._

_“And you will be moving to California soon,” exclaimed Oikawa. “We will be the same continent!”_

_Iwaizumi laughed. “Yes, but we won't be that close.”_

_“I still like the idea, don't spoil it! I can give you some advice if you need them.”_

With this memory in mind, Iwaizumi left the apartment, wanting to take a walk. He greeted in English several athletes who were in the Olympic Village, then entered a café. He needed to drink something energizing.

It was there, by a stroke of luck, that he saw Oikawa. Leaned against the counter, the player of the Argentina national team was grinning at the busy bartender.

Iwaizumi went next to him. “An iced coffee, please,” he said with ease.

Oikawa turned immediately. Iwaizumi's heart began to beat faster for the emotion. Fuck, how much he wanted to hug his childhood friend.

"Iwa-chan," Oikawa said, then exclaimed louder, "Iwa-chan!!"

He wrapped Iwaizumi in his arms with a warm, gesture, so un-Japanese, but Iwaizumi reciprocated it enthusiastically. The athletic trainer was happy. His nose collided with Oikawa’s neck, and he breathed in the scent of aftershave.

The two separated, smiles eating their faces.

Oikawa was the first to speak. “It's so good to see you! I have seen you from afar, you know? I thought that the trainer uniform fits you just fine!"

"Ah, this," Iwaizumi said, clutching the fabric of his shirt.

"You have also changed a lot in the last year, now that I see you up close. You are…aged. "

Iwaizumi frowned, then protested, "I should say the same about you since we're the same age!"

Oikawa laughed. "I didn't say it in offensive terms, quite the contrary."

Iwaizumi read a mischievous undertone in that sentence but thought that maybe he was wrong. Before he could say something, one tall, stout player with black hair called Oikawa. Oikawa raised an arm, and the other approached, speaking to him in Spanish.

"Hajime," Oikawa said in English, "this is Benjamin, my teammate."

Iwaizumi shook the player’s hand. "It is a pleasure to meet you," he said.

"Oh, it's a pleasure for me too," said Benjamin with a smile. “Tooru often speaks about you. You are famous."

Iwaizumi looked at his childhood friend, surprised. Oikawa looked down for a moment at the words of his teammate.

“I'll leave you alone,” said Benjamin. “I bet you will have many things to tell now that we are in Tokyo. See you later, Tooru."

Oikawa greeted his teammate, then said to Iwaizumi, "Well, shall we sit at the table?"

They sat at a small table across the room with the coffee for Iwaizumi and an orange juice for Oikawa.

Sat in front of Oikawa, Iwaizumi carefully observed every detail of the other. "How are you?" he asked Oikawa.

“I’m great, although I still have to get used to jet lag. I will never get used to it! But I am happy to be here. I mean, we are at the Olympics, and I have the opportunity to stay in my dear Japan! I heard from my mother this morning. When the competitions are over, I'll go to my parents' house for a while. Maybe I will also be able to meet Matsukawa since he’s working in Miyagi. And it would be nice to see Hanamaki, too. Now he's in Tokyo, right?"

“Yeah, sometimes we go out to eat together, even though I don't have much time. Especially in the last period."

“I feel you,” Oikawa said with a smile.

They talked about their preparations for the Olympics and their impressions as soon as they arrived at the event. Then Iwaizumi said, “Hinata and the others want to say hello. I think Ushijima would like to have a few words with you too."

Oikawa laughed. "Yes, I imagine how exhilarating a conversation with Ushiwaka can be," he said, crossing his arms on the coffee table. “I still don't forgive you for speaking to him in California! But I want to meet Shouyou."

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes. “What was I supposed to do with Ushijima in California, turn my back and pretend not to recognize him? Plus, he's a good person."

“That doesn't change what I think about him. Although I was surprised when he came out four months ago, introducing Tendou as his boyfriend. And Tendou lives in Paris! Man, I have to admit that Ushijima, in some things, is a few steps ahead of me.” Oikawa grimaced. “Can you believe they got together at the end of high school? A bit like…"

_Us?_

That unspoken word Iwaizumi heard loud and clear. He held his breath as Oikawa froze. The Argentine player looked down and, after a choked curse, took a sip from his glass. After the pause, he continued, "Like you and me…but I realize that this is not the right place to dig up the past."

Iwaizumi scratched his neck, with a little awkwardness, turning his head for a moment. "Well, that's what undoubtedly happened between us. We never talk about it, but we both know it happened,” he said. "We are childhood friends…who else but us could bring up the past during a chat?" _He could never forget that he kissed those lips he looked at insistently, not even at ninety years old._

Oikawa nodded slowly. “Right. He is him, we are us. Everyone has their destiny. Unfortunately for me, you were the best boyfriend I've ever had." These words seemed sad to Iwaizumi. After a sigh, Oikawa changed his tone to a more cheerful one, “Anyway, as a friend, I'm delighted to see you here. Even though I am Argentine now, Japan will always remain home for me. You are a bit of my home too."

“I'm glad to hear that,” Iwaizumi replied.

Iwaizumi reached out and squeezed Oikawa’s hand. Oikawa returned the squeeze. They stood with their fingers intertwined for a longer time than he had intended in the beginning. Iwaizumi felt his breath take away. He didn't want to let go of that hand and was sure that Oikawa noticed.

Suddenly Oikawa untied their fingers. He finished drinking his glass, then said, “I have to go now.”

Iwaizumi looked at him. "I see.”

“Sorry, but the others are waiting for me. Listen... tonight, around nine... would you like to come to my team's apartment? We could, um, talk and dig up the past with more tranquility."

"Okay...I'd love to," Iwaizumi said, a little surprised at the invitation, asked naturally, yet so intimate.

"Great. I pay for both today! " Oikawa exclaimed. He got up in a hurry and, after placing a hand on Iwaizumi’s shoulder, walked away with a smile and a gesture of greeting.

____

Iwaizumi decided to text Oikawa when he was at the door of the apartment of the Argentine volleyball players. Oikawa opened the door shortly after with a knowing smile and lead him into a twin bedroom.

"I'm the only one who sleeps here," he explained, closing the door. “The others are watching the last competitions on TV or being outside. They won't disturb us. I told them that you would come, by the way." Then he pointed to the glass door. "It’s a beautiful evening. Would you like to stay on the balcony?"

Iwaizumi said yes. They went outside and looked at the Olympic Village from the top of that tall building.

"Tokyo is wonderful," said Oikawa, adjusting a brown tuft moved by the wind.

"Yes, it is," but Iwaizumi was not looking at the buildings illuminated by many small lights. He looked at Oikawa. He was gorgeous in his eyes. "I'm proud of you, Tooru."

"Huh?" the other said, turning to him.

“You have come this far,” Iwaizumi explained. “You never gave up, and in the end, you have shown that you have become the top player of a nation that you weren’t born in but you are proud to be a part of. I think it's amazing."

Oikawa laughed. "You softened with age.”

"And you stayed the same," Iwaizumi retorted.

"Okay, I take back what I said,” Oikawa said, raising his hands. “But I was waiting for those words from you, maybe?”

Iwaizumi smiled. “I meant them.”

“We made the promise to meet again here at the Olympics, and we both kept it," noted Oikawa.

"Well said."

Oikawa sighed softly. “And now, my big dream is to challenge Japan and show what I have learned over the years. I still have to teach Kageyama and Ushijima a lesson. I haven't forgotten that."

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes. “Of course.”

"It will be great to challenge the team you are part of too," Oikawa continued. “You have decided not to continue to play on a professional team, but your work behind the scenes is essential. I am proud of you too, Hajime. For all the years of school, from the first volleyball matches in elementary school, you supported me. You prevented me from fuck up, you were the last hope I saw when the match was unfavorable for us. You always have been a great ace. Just simply thinking of you has always given me strength. Thank you so much."

"Tooru ..." Iwaizumi whispered.

They were so close on the railing that their arms brushed. Iwaizumi looked in the brown eyes of the other. He moved slowly towards Oikawa, getting closer, but slowly, to see if the other would have backed off, but Oikawa was doing the same. Their lips met in soft contact.

"Hajime ..." Oikawa murmured. "Are you dating anyone at the moment?"

Iwaizumi shook his head. "No, you?"

"Me neither."

They brushed their lips together again. Iwaizumi sighed as he pushed his tongue inside his childhood friend's mouth. Oikawa replied with equal enthusiasm.

The athletic trainer went back to when he was eighteen years old. That kiss was even better than the others they shared, which he still carried in his heart, carved; furtive kisses in front of his house, the long and passionate kisses before going to sleep, or the soft and light ones on the rooftop of the school. The distance made their meeting more intense and precious.

Iwaizumi pressed his hands to Oikawa’s shoulders, moving down to his back.

"Let's go inside," Oikawa begged.

Iwaizumi followed Oikawa inside the room.

"Listen ..." Oikawa continued, while Iwaizumi was tracing his neck with his tongue. He bit back a moan. "I know it's all so fast…I would like to fuck, but do you have condoms? I haven’t."

Iwaizumi broke away groaning. “Condoms. Right. I'll run to get them before we're too caught up in the situation and don’t want to stop,” he proposed.

“Okay, I’ll be waiting,” said Oikawa, squeezing the other’s hands.

Iwaizumi kissed Oikawa on the cheek and left the room. He took the elevator, feeling high. The outside air calmed him down a little, as he walked quickly towards the nearest pharmacy. Then he made his way back. Fifteen minutes had passed. The door to the apartment was still open. He rushed into the room and found Oikawa sitting on the bed. Oikawa got up as Iwaizumi entered the room.

“I was afraid you ran away,” Oikawa joked as Iwaizumi tossed the box of condoms and lube onto one of the bedside tables.

"Did you have sex in mind from the beginning?" Iwaizumi asked.

Oikawa shrugged. "Maybe, but it was just a fantasy. I want to know if you want me as much as I want you. "

In response, Iwaizumi kissed him.

Oikawa started sucking Iwaizumi’s lower lip. He bit it lightly, then pulled away. His cheeks were darker from the excitement. "Wait, it's best if we lock the door before we continue," he said.

Iwaizumi nodded. He waited for Oikawa, then grabbed him by the hips.

"I don't want to wait anymore," Oikawa whispered between kisses.

Even Iwaizumi no longer wanted to wait for what he had wanted to do for years, to be able to feel Oikawa completely. They never had gone all the way. The hands searched the skin with the desire to feel the body of the other in its entirety, its strength, its smell.

Iwaizumi slammed Oikawa against the wall and put a knee between his thighs as the Argentine player devoured his mouth.

"I want you, Hajime," Oikawa moaned. "Oh, I want you so much." His hoarse voice was damn exciting.

T-shirts were pulled off by impatient hands, belts dropped to the floor with a tinkling. The clothes marked the trail to the bed that awaited them, but first Iwaizumi turned on the bedside lamp and turned off the lights on the ceiling.

"Intimate atmosphere," Oikawa commented with a mischievous smile, as he reclined on the bed.

Iwaizumi looked down at Oikawa’s naked, stretched body between the sheets; the defined musculature, the broad chest forged from matches that they did not play together.

"You are beautiful," Iwaizumi breathed.

"You’re not bad too," Oikawa whispered. Iwaizumi felt Oikawa’s gaze lingering on his throbbing erection while he was licking his lips. "You became so sexy that I wanted to fuck you in front of everyone the first moment I saw you today."

"Oh, shut up," Iwaizumi exclaimed with a restrained smile, climbing on top of Oikawa. He brought his lips to Oikawa’s gently, closing his eyes, savoring the softness.

He touched Oikawa’s cheek. He wanted to have all night and those to come to caress him like this. Oikawa blocked his hand and kissed the palm.

"I'm glad to be here with you," Oikawa said softly as if it was a secret. Iwaizumi knew what he meant.

"Me too."

The threads of their destiny had intertwined, knotted, wrapped in endless loops of multiple destinations. And in that instant, they were together again between those four walls, where a furtive glance revealed the burning desire of two grown men to unify through their bodies a soul made of the same material. Iwaizumi had always felt inextricably linked to the former captain of Aoba Johsai. Now that he could touch him and hold him in his arms, it did not seem real.

Oikawa urged Iwaizumi to continue, ran his fingers in his hair, brought his head close to his. Tracing Iwaizumi’s biceps with his nails, he made more space for Iwaizumi between his thighs, which the other grabbed.

“Tooru,” Iwaizumi said. "Who…"

"I want you inside me if that's okay with you," Oikawa took the initiative.

Iwaizumi nodded. "It's fine for me."

He kissed Oikawa’s forehead, then continued to move against the other. There was no need to rush. Between groans and incoherent words, Oikawa begged Iwaizumi to take him, asking for the lubricant, so Iwaizumi poured a generous dose of it and sank his fingers inside Oikawa’s opening gently. Then, with trembling fingers, he put the condom on.

He felt the need to bite Oikawa’s thigh as he got inside him. With his back on the mattress and his legs raised, Oikawa was breathing slowly. His body gave in little by little, welcoming Iwaizumi with his warmth and tightness. It was all so perfect it left Iwaizumi gasping.

"Yes, yes, don't hold back your voice, I need to hear you," Oikawa urged Iwaizumi as they began to move together. Oikawa grabbed the sheets and met Iwaizumi with his hips at a pace that became furious. "Fuck, Hajime, fuck!!"

Iwaizumi didn't take his eyes off Oikawa and ran his fingers over Oikawa’s tanned and slightly sweaty chest, then put the hands on the sides of his lover’s hips, and helped the other to move to the rhythm of his thrusts. Oikawa’s skin was hot.

It was real. Iwaizumi was really making love with Oikawa.

It was a sight to see Oikawa come, with his head resting on the pillow and his mouth moaning his name.

After calming his breath, Oikawa asked Iwaizumi, "Are you going to come?"

"Almost."

It was so intense. Iwaizumi felt that a strong orgasm was coming. He was already gasping for too much pleasure and came, out of breath.

Iwaizumi stepped out of Oikawa's relaxed body slowly. He took off the dirty condom, tying it and wrapping it in a handkerchief that he pulled out of the box on the bedside table, then lay down next to the other man. The two were silent for a whole minute, looking for each other's hand and squeezing it lazily as if to come to reality and better understand what had just happened between them. Iwaizumi looked away from the ceiling and slowly turned his head to Oikawa, who was smiling at him.

“That was how I dreamed to be our first time…so perfect,” Oikawa said, “maybe it was like that precisely because it wasn't our real first time with someone."

Iwaizumi buried his nose in the other man’s hair, on his flushed ear. “Probably.” But still, he regretted that his first time hadn't been with Oikawa. In those years, he had had several attempts at a relationship with other men, shipwrecked after a month or two, left with only one sentence: you don't seem involved. And he knew why.

“My first time was disastrous”, Oikawa told Iwaizumi. “It happened two months after I arrived in Argentina, with a guy whose name I don't even remember. He was part of another professional team. I remember leaving his apartment in the middle of the night."

Iwaizumi frowned. “You never told me. I'm sorry." He kissed the hand he held between his fingers.

Oikawa hugged him. "It's been too long since we've been telling each other everything," he said with a sigh.

In the silence of the room, Iwaizumi felt an unpleasant sensation invade his body and close his throat. A wave of emotions suddenly washed over him.

"I've missed you over the years. All the gods know how much I've missed you..." he admitted. Tears began to fall. He reached out to wipe his eyes.

"Hey, Hajime... hey..." Oikawa whispered.

Iwaizumi always found it hard to appear vulnerable but knew that Tooru could understand him. He said, “I still blame myself for what I told you on graduation day. I shouldn't have left you like that. You didn't deserve it."

Oikawa pursed his lips. "Listen, hey, look at me." He took Iwaizumi’s face in his hands. “I missed you too. There were nights during the first months in Argentina when I felt terribly alone. In those moments, I was almost on the verge of wanting to go home, but they were just self-destructive thoughts, destined to go away at dawn. Either way, they were terrible. So I thought of you. How much I wanted to make love with you and grow old by your side, but you were right when you left me. I would not have endured a long-distance relationship. I would have become jealous to see you moving on in your life without me because I was too young. That's how it went, and I never blamed you for what you did. Even though, as friends, I kept thinking about the love I felt for you. "

“I never stopped thinking about it too, Tooru,” Iwaizumi admitted.

Tooru kissed him and smirked. “Maybe you could have broken up with me on another day. What I think doesn't change the fact that you ruined a high schooler's happiest day!" he said, but his tone didn’t reveal hurt.

"Sorry again," Iwaizumi said, though he was starting to feel relieved.

"I could seriously get used to all these apologies." With a quick move, Oikawa climbed on top of him. “I have you here anyway. This is where I want you to be, in my arms tonight,” he sighed in Iwaizumi’s ear before biting it lightly.

Iwaizumi shivered with desire. It seemed natural to him that their bodies touched like this. "What will happen next?" he asked, placing his hands on Oikawa’s hips.

"What you want," Oikawa said apparently nonchalant. “We can part ways as we always do, pretending that nothing has happened. At least I have taken away the curiosity of what it is like to make love with you…that’s something."

"Would that be okay for you?" Iwaizumi asked.

Oikawa raised an eyebrow. "Tell me what you think!"

“I don't know. It all happened so quickly,” Iwaizumi admitted, “but I don't feel like pretending nothing happened. I wish it would happen again."

"Do you want to do it again?" Oikawa asked near his lips. His large brown eyes gleamed languidly in the light from the bedside lamp.

They kissed, both of them feeling the desire begin to flare up in their bodies, and had sex again. This time it was Oikawa who took Iwaizumi. They looked into the eyes of the other all the time during the intercourse. Iwaizumi could not help but think about how beautiful Oikawa was when he lost himself in the maze of pleasure, his mouth was sweet and inviting. The bed creaked, but even if all the Olympic players had heard them, Iwaizumi wouldn't give a damn.

Once they reached the peak of pleasure for the second time, Oikawa collapsed in exhaustion.

"Hajime...my Iwa-chan," he sighed satisfied, with his head on his lover’s chest.

Iwaizumi played with Oikawa’s brown hair, as soft as he remembered it. No, he knew they couldn't part ways as if nothing had happened. Something had changed.

* * *

"There are those who have great sex in the Olympics, but not me. What a cruel fate,” Atsumu sighed in the kitchen of the apartment.

There was a lot of activity that morning. Some players were getting dressed, some others were in the bathroom. Iwaizumi was in the kitchen with Hinata, Atsumu, Bokuto, and also Kuroo of the Japan Volleyball Association was there, paying a visit.

"If you have heard of someone doing it, it is an exaggeration. We are all here to train for the competitions. The rest is irrelevant," Ushijima intervened, head appearing from the corridor.

“Maybe for you, who already have a boyfriend outside here. But tell Shouyou and Tobio. Being in separate rooms does not prevent them from doing certain things that I have to hear from the other side of the apartment!" said Atsumu.

Hinata turned beet red.

Bokuto laughed and hugged the short spiker. "But Tsumu, they draw energy this way!".

"Kageyama and I are rarely close geographically, plus I play great anyway!" Hinata retorted to Atsumu. "Right, Iwaizumi-san?"

Iwaizumi raised the head from his cup of tea.

“Oh, by the way, you,” Atsumu said. “You disappeared for the third time tonight. Do you have some badly kept secret too?"

“Really?” said Kuroo. He was standing, with his arms crossed and a smirk on the face.

Everyone turned to the athletic trainer or got really quiet, clearly attentive but pretending not to be interested in the subject.

“I won't say anything about it. Come on, let's get ready fast. I remind you that you have your first match today."

Iwaizumi didn’t want to hide that he was meeting Oikawa, but he was still confused about the nature of their relationship, so he avoided the topic. It was a delicate matter.

It was in the evening, in the middle of the victory celebration of the national volleyball team and other Japanese athletes, amidst the singing and dancing, that Iwaizumi received the congratulatory text from Oikawa.

 _“I really hope Argentina can play against Japan!”_ Then, a minute later, another text, _"I would love to see you."_

 _"Me too,"_ Iwaizumi admitted.

_"Would you like to take a walk outside tomorrow evening?"_

_"I would love to."_ After sending the text, Iwaizumi looked up from the phone and saw Ushijima emerge from his room. His composure stood out amid the general euphoria. Iwaizumi wondered if someone like him wanted to have fun, even after a possible victory over all the other teams in the world. He never saw him drink a drop of alcohol. His face, however, seemed relaxed and content.

“Sorry for my absence, I was on the phone with Tendou. He saw the game,” he told Iwaizumi, who nodded.

"Ushijima, can I ask you a personal question?" Iwaizumi asked. He felt free to ask questions since they met by chance in California. At the time, Iwaizumi had seen a spark between them and had realized they could become friends, despite having been rivals in middle and high school. Ushijima had turned out to be a much warmer and human person than he had imagined.

"Sure."

"Do you mind the distance from your boyfriend?"

Ushijima folded his arms and seemed to think about it for a moment. "No," he finally said. “This does not mean that I don't miss Tendou, but we can keep in touch every day. Tendou says that communication is important. I guess it's a question of different characters whether to make a similar choice or not. Nobody should feel forced."

Iwaizumi nodded. “I envy your relationship. Communicating in a couple is difficult, yet it is essential." It was an aspect where, as teenagers, he and Oikawa had failed. Even now, they weren't trying, but Iwaizumi wanted to make up for it. Even though he was in a room full of people, the only one he thought about was Oikawa. He missed being able to call him his boyfriend. No kiss or caress, capable of making him tremble, could have exceeded that inner satisfaction, that pride.

* * *

The next evening, Oikawa and Iwaizumi went for a tour around the area. Once they sat down on a bench, Iwaizumi decided to share what he had been thinking about.

“After we slept together the first time, you said we could be in the relationship I wanted. I didn't know what was happening between us. We had sex three times now, and I was wondering if we could make this thing work. Being together again, seriously."

Oikawa held his breath. "Hajime ..." he murmured.

Iwaizumi looked down, clenching his fists in his lap. “I probably don't have the right to ask you such a thing since I broke up with you years ago. The answer is up to you. If you give me the chance, I swear that I will find breaks from work. I will come to see you as often as you can see me. We could organize holidays together in new places around the world. I no longer want to lose sight of you for years and years and be satisfied with some text. I don't want short reunions in which we bring up only the past. Yes, it's nice to think back to when we were kids, but I miss creating new memories with you. I love you, Tooru,” he admitted.

Oikawa smiled and rested his head on Iwaizumi’s shoulder.

"I love you too," he said. "You are my only, craziest, great love." Iwaizumi sighed when Oikawa kissed his ear. “Even if our relationship went wrong, if we argued a lot, I would prefer to have tried. You are too important for me to give up easily. I want to be with you. I’ll tell everyone if you agree. At least I wish my parents knew this time."

Iwaizumi squeezed Oikawa’s hand. Both of them had shining eyes.

"I absolutely agree," Iwaizumi said.

* * *

**April 2025**

Iwaizumi smoothed his white suit and let out an excited sigh. The big day had come.

He had moved to San Juan the year before, as soon as he found the right job offer, and had lived with Oikawa all that time. Their relationship had stood up despite the distance. Sharing the same apartment had been a dream, the first step before realizing he was ready to spend his entire life by Oikawa’s side, being able to call him his husband.

He was in the large wedding hall, decorated with white roses and crowded with the people he loved, present to celebrate one of the most important events of his life.

There were his parents and Oikawa's family. There was Hinata from Brazil, there were Hanamaki and Matsukawa, many of the San Juan volleyball team. Even Ushijima and Tendou. Everyone had gathered in Argentina.

Tooru was also elegantly dressed in white. Like every suit he wore, that fitted him perfectly. He kept moving his face from the marriage officiant to Iwaizumi without stopping smiling. Iwaizumi was also trembling with emotion, so much so that he forgot the lines he had learned by heart.

At the end of the ceremony, the two men kissed, ushering in that new adventure together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so it ended!! Thanks for reading this fanfiction. Leave a comment if you want!


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